Fortune-telling apparatus.



Patented Aug. 22, I899.

F. A. RICHTER.

FORTUNE TELLING APPARATUS.

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Modal.)

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FORTUNE TELLING APPARATUS.

(Application filed July e, 1897.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Patented Aug. 22, I899.

No. 63|,67l.

F. A. RICHTER.

FORTUNE TELLING APPARATUS.

(Application filed July 6, 1897.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. Fig.6

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(Application filed July 6, 1897-) (No Model.) 9 Figflfiheets-Sheet '4.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICH ADOLF RICHTER, OF RUDOLSTADT, GERMANY.

FORTUNE-TELLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,671, dated August 22, 1899. Application filed July 6,1897. Serial No. 643,596. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LFRIEDRICH ADoLF RICH- TER, of Rudolstadt, in the Principality of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt, German Empire, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fortune Telling Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to fortune-telling and similar apparatus wherein upon the apparatus being set for a certain question by the user a suitable answer to such question is caused to appear.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which will be simple in construction and which will at the same time operate satisfactorily in that appropriate answers will be given to the various questions asked and that the answers given in succession to one and the same question will vary each time, so that the same answer will not occur twice in succession.

To this end the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The apparatus contains two circles or circular groups of questions and answers, (or

corresponding figures or characters,) the said two circles or groups being directly or indirectly connected with each other in a manner to be more fully hereinafter described and explained. The apparatus is intended to operate in this wise, that each time upon the one circle or group having been set for a certain question or character a different answer or characterof the other circle or group, but always adapted to and befitting the respective question or character for which the first circle or group has been set, will appear or be indicated at an opening or windowprovided in the apparatus. This variety of indication is, according to this present invention, effected not by means of any complicated mechanism, but simply by so arranging the two circles or groups of questions and answers or other characters relatively to each other that the act itself of setting the one questions.

circle or group for a certain question or character will simultaneously cause the circle or group of answers to be shifted in such a manner as to thereby alone and without any auxiliary means whatever bring the proper answer or character-and a different one each timeto the respective opening or window. In order, however, to convey upon the user the impression that the answer or character is made to appear in consequence of some mysterious operation taking place within the apparatus and not by the mere act of setting the apparatus for the respective question and simultaneously with such setting, I provide, in connection with the apparatus, mechanism which will normally keep the opening or window for the answers covered by a movable plate and will remove such plate to uncover the respective answer only when a coin has been inserted in the apparatus.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a disk provided on its face with the circular groups of figures, these being throughout the drawings substituted for the questions and answers. This disk forms part of the fortune-telling apparatus to be more fully hereinafter described. The outer circle of figures is supposed to represent three groups of answers 6, whereas the inner circle is supposed to represent as many groups of corresponding questions c-that is to say, the questions indicated by the same ordinals are all alike in the different groups of questions, but the answers, although differing from each other in .the

different groups of answers, befit or correspond with the questions occupying the same relative position in each of the groups of Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a modified form of disk,'the latter. being here shown as provided with a peripheral rectangular flange, the groups of answers I) being arranged on said flange, whereas the corresponding groups of questions 0 are provided on the face of the disk. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the entire apparatus or its casing,

the latter having the show-openings d and 6 adapted for the form of disk shown in Fig. 1, and. being on a smaller scale than this figure. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the e11- tire apparatus, showing the openings at and 6 adapted for the form of disk illustrated in Fig. 2, and being on a smaller scale than this figure. Fig. 5 is an enlarged front elevation of the inner mechanism of the apparatus with certain parts broken away. The disk is here shown as having parts of the material cut away, so as to leave a central hub portion and radial portions in the manner of the spokes of a wheel a. Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5, with some of the parts broken away. Figs. 7 and 8 are details to be described of the mechanism shown in Figs. 5and (5. Fig. 9 is an elevation showing the actuating mechanism of the apparatus hereinafterdescribed. Parts of this mechanism are broken away in this figure. Fig. 9 is a plan View of the flyactuating mechanism. Fig. 10 is a detail to be described.

In the apparatus hereinafter described and shown in the drawings, the answers,all differing from each other, are arranged in a circle of two or more groups, these being so adapted that each time when the respective disk or wheel which contains the said groups of answers is moved forward to such an extent as will correspond with the value representing the length of the group a different answer will be given to one and the same question, this occurring for such a number of times as will correspond with the number of groups of answers. The circle of questions instead of being connected directly with the circle of answers may be connected with the latter indirectly by a train of wheels or other means for transmission of movement, the relative movements being in such case adapted in accordance with the ratio between the number of groups of answers and the number of groups of questions.

The casing of the apparatus, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, contains an opening or window (1 for the questions and another one 0 for the answers, the latter opening being shown in Fig. 3 as provided in the front wall of the easing, whereas in Fig. 4 it is provided in one of the side walls. The opening or window 0 is normally kept closed by a movable plate, which thus covers from view the answer appearing behind the said opening or window. In Figs. 3 and 4, however, the opening or window is shown open. Another opening or slot e, Fig. 4, is provided for the insertion of a coin to operate the inner mechanism of the apparatus, as will hereinafter be described. 9 is a head or button forming an outer axial extension of the disk or wheel a mounted within the casing of the apparatus. By turning the said head or button the said disk or Wheel may be rotated to bring anyone of the questions thereon behind the opening or window (1, and this will then cause a corresponding answer to appear behind the other opening or window e.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be seen that the wheel a has rigidly connected with it a ratchet-wheel 717, the number of teeth on the latter corresponding with the number of answers provided for in the apparatus. a is a lever mounted to oscillate on the fixed axis q and having a llanged upper end portion which in the normal position of the said lever keeps the opening e for the insertion of coins, Fig. 4, covered from within. A pawl 0, carried by the said lever, engages the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 7c, the latter being also engaged by another pawl s, pivoted at 'r. The plate It for normally keeping the opening or window 6 closed forms the enlarged end of a bell-crank lever i 'i, mounted to oscillate on the fixed axis f, the lower arm 6 of the said bell-crank lever being preferably bent, so as to extend around the lower edge of the wheel a to the rear side thereof, as shown. it is a vertical shaft journaled in suitable bearings and carrying an upper cam-disk land a lower cam-disk t, Figs. 7 and 8, the former engaging the lower arm 19 of the lever 12, whereas the lower cam-disk, by means of a cam-groove provided therein, positively operates a lever 00, movably connected by a link j with the lower arm 1' of the bell-crank lever t' 1;. The vertical shaft to in the preferred construction of this mechanism, as shown in Fig. 9, receives rotary movement from a spring inclosed in the stationary spring-box 1, operating the vertical shaft 2, having the pinions 3 and 5 and the ratchet-wheel 4, the said movement being transmitted by the pinion 5 engaging the pinion 0 of the shaft to. The pinion 6 also engages a pinion 7, and the latter, mounted on a common vertical shaft with the worm-wheel 7, rotates the worm 8, Fig. 9, which is provided on the shaft of a fly 9. The latter, and with it the entire mechanism, is normally prevented from moving by a wire 11, which in the position shown in Fig. 9 extends into the line of movement of the wings of the fly. The said wire is secured to one end of a releasing-lever y, the other end of the latter being arranged below the discharge end of the coin-duct l0,theinlet end of the said coin-duct being immediately below the-opening or slot 6'. (Shown in Fig. 4.) Immediately above the pinion G on the vertical shaft to is secured a cam z, having a gradually ascending and descending cam-face, upon which the lowermost arm of the releasing-lever 1 rests with a suitable lug or projection.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: By turning the button or head 9 to the right the disk or wheel a is rotated until the respective question to be answered appears at the opening or window d. As the ratchetwheel 7c participates in the rotation the pawl 0 is pushed out of engagement therewith, so that the lever n will be swung to one side, thereby withdrawing its flanged upper end a from the coin-opening c, Fig. 4, so that a coin may now be inserted therein. At the same time the respective answer corresponding with the question for which the disk or wheel a has been set will have arrived behind the opening or window 6. A coin having now been inserted and conveyed by the coin-d not 10, Fig. 9, to the lever y, so as to depress the one and lift the other end of the same, the fly 9 is released by'the respective end of the lever y moving the wire 11, and the actuating mechanism (best shown in Figs. 9 and 9) is. started, the rotary movement of the shaft 2 being transmitted by the pinions 5 and 6 to the shaft u. The cam-disks t and 'u are thus rotated. Above the latter is mounted a bell-crank lever on, having its shorter arm bent downward, so as to project into a cam-groove of the disk 11, and having the outer end of its other arm movably connected by a link j to the lower arm *6 of the bell-crank levert- 11'. Since the disk 1 participates in the movement of the shaft u, it will be seen that the lever 00 will during each rotation of the said shaft act to move the bellcrank lever 'i i laterally, so that the plate h, forming the outer end .of the lever-arm i, will be removed from behind the opening or show-window e and will allow the respective answer to be seen and read from without. At the same time the cam-disk t will have acted upon the lower arm 19 of the lever n, so as to cause its flanged upper end to again close the opening or slot 6, and the pawl 0, carried by the lever n, will by this movement of the latter have been brought into engagement with the ratchet-wheelk, thus preventing the head or button 9 from beingturned to the right during the rotary movement of the shaft 11., whereas the turning of the same to the left is at the same time prevented by the engagement of the pawl s with the ratchet-wheel. Upon the shaft to having completed one rotation, the releasing lever y, one arm of which will in the meantime have been gradually lifted by the ascending portion of the cam 2, will when the said lever-arm again descends from the highest point of the said cam move the wire 11, so that the fly 9, and with it the entire actuating mechanism,'will be stopped. The lower arm 19 of the lever n will then be opposite the cut-away portion of the cam-disk t (see Fig. 7) and will not be restricted in its movement, but will keep the coin-opening closed until the head or button 9 will have again been turned to the right, the object of this arrangement being to prevent the same answer being given to one question a number of times in succession.

I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact details of construction or arrangement described and shown, as these admit of various modifications and variations within the scope of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A fortune=telling apparatus comprising a movable surface having a series of ques- I tions thereon arranged in two or more groups, the questions in each group being duplicates of the questions in the other group or groups, and a series of answers arranged in groups relative to the questions, each answer' being appropriate to the question with which it is combined but the answer to a given question in one group being different from the answer to the same question in another group, substantially as described.

- 2. In a fortune-telling apparatus, the combination of a movable surface having a series of questions and a series of answers imprinted thereon, a casing having an opening or window in the line of movement of the series of questions, to allow one question at a time to be seen therethrough, and having another opening or window in the line of movement of the series of answers, to allow one corresponding answer at a time to be seen there through, a movable part normally covering from view the answer behind the respective opening or window, and means for automatically removing the said part from behind the said opening or window at times to display the answer behind it, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a fortune-telling apparatus, the combination of a disk or wheel having a series of questions imprinted on its surface and a series of answers on its rim portion, a casing having an opening or window in the line of movement of the series of questions, to allow one question at a time to be seen therethrough and having another opening or window in the line of movement of the series of answers, to allow one corresponding answer at a time to be seen therethrough, a movable part nor mally covering from view the answer behind the respective opening or window, and means forau tom atically removing the said part from behind the said opening or window at times to display the answer behind it, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a fortune-telling apparatus, the com bination with a circular disk having a series of questions and answers arranged thereon and of means for revolving it, of a casing inclosing the disk and having openings therein for dis playin gthe said questions and. answers,

a plate normally closing the opening for dis playing the answers, a spring-motor for actuating said plate, means operating normally to prevent movementof the motor and arranged to be actuated to release the motor, and means operating in one cycle of movement of the motor to uncover the opening for displaying the answers and again close the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRIEDRICH AD OLF RICHTER.

Witnesses:

H. E. SCHMIDT, ROBERT R. SCHMIDT. 

